Historic property sells
Kent family says goodbye to Jondaryan Station after 156 years
‘‘ EVERYONE HAS MOVED ON AND HAVE OTHER THINGS TO DO, AND I’M QUITE COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
TONY ELLIOTT
IT’S appropriate that one of the last jobs Tony Elliott has left to do on his family’s property at Jondaryan Station is to clean out the old sheds.
Hundreds of farming items, now for sale this weekend, paint a picture of a legacy spanning more than 150 years.
“The handover is done – this is just my responsibility to clear the sheds out and provide (the items) in a clear format,” Mr Elliott said.
The famous Jondaryan Station, once the largest freehold sheep property in Australia, has now sold.
The property was under the ownership and control of the Kent family since 1862, with Mr Elliot the last in a long line of landholders.
It was sold to a property owner living in the south-west Toowoomba region.
While admitting it was a sad occasion, Mr Elliott said he was comfortable with the family moving on from the station.
“I’m basically ready to do other things and as such, it doesn’t really worry me,” he said.
“Everyone has moved on and have other things to do, and I’m quite comfortable with it.”
Mr Elliott’s great-greatgrandfather William Kent was the senior and managing partner of the property from 1862.
The heritage-listed Jondaryan Woolshed, which was part of the property until 1946, started construction in 1859.
By 1873, workers on Jondaryan Station were shearing 250,000 sheep every season.
Mr Elliott said some of the items available for sale on Saturday included old station machinery, blacksmith tools, tractors, pulleys, corrugated iron and original fencing.
“One of the most interesting items is a 1946 truck, which has never been away from this property,” he said.
“It has a genuine 46,000 miles on the speedometer.”
A pre-inspection of the pieces will be on Friday at Jondaryan Station from 10am, with Matt Cleary running the auction the next day.
The station is 200m from the intersection of Evanslea and Tiptons Rds in Jondaryan.